The National Medical Association (NMA) is the nation's oldest and largest organization representing African American physicians and health professionals in the United States. It was founded in 1985 and is the collective voice of more than 25,000 African American physicians and the patients they serve. The NMA extends equal right and privileges to all physicians. This meeting is targeted to clinical practitioners, academic researchers and professionals interested in reaching a large population of minority physicians. The NMA Ophthalmology Section meets at the annual meeting. The meeting is targeted to clinical practitioners and research clinicians and fellowship trained ophthalmologists. Subspecialty scientific sessions are given over the annual meeting with a Symposium targeted on the first day which offers issues that are cross-sectional in their appeal to ophthalmology. The Sunday Symposium allows the top 7 awardees residents/medical students to present their scientific papers. The presenters are chosen from the scientific committee in the early part of the year for the Rabb-Venable Outstanding Research Award. The presentation of honorable mentions and winner of the Rabb-Venable awards is conducted on Sun. &Mon. evening at a dinner symposium. The winner of the Rabb Venable Award will go to ARVO the following year. The awards will increase by 3 awards a year over the next 5 years. The scholarship funds are supported by the pharmaceutical industry. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31st of the convention year. This grant allows the student/resident awardees to present their research, attend the grant writing session given by the NIH at the NMA meeting, interact with the NEI representative and travel expenses to the annual meeting. The submitted abstracts are encouraged to be in any of the subspecialties of ophthalmology emphasizing the latest developments in understanding, diagnosing, preventing and treating the many sight-threatening diseases and conditions which affect minority patients as well as the general population. This is the premier eye meeting for minority physicians in the U.S. Today's NMA fights for better medical care and opportunities for all Americans. The NMA is on the frontlines of evolving issues that affect the profession, including: burgeoning health care costs;the eroding autonomy of physicians;and the caring for uninsured patients who need immediate medical attention. These are many of the issues that affect our patients today.